Quick exhaust valve

ABSTRACT

A valve for transmitting pressurized fluid from a fluid supply to receiver means, such as an actuating power cylinder, and for exhausting the transmitted fluid when the pressure of the fluid supply drops, comprises a check valve carrying an elastomer seal, the seal being moved in a direction to cover exhaust port means and to admit fluid through the valve during fluid infeed, and to be returned by the back pressure to cover the infeed means when the pressure of the fluid supply drops permitting cylinder exhaust. An O-ring positioned interiorly of the valve body is employed to act as a check valve seal.

United States Patent Pauliukonis [451 Aug. 1, 1972 [54] QUICK EXHAUSTVALVE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 839 642 6/1960 Great Britain..137/102 I t.Rihd S. Puliknis 6660 [721 criefbriar Dr g' g Ohio1,003,614 9/1965 Great Britain ..137 102 44130 Primary Examiner-SamuelB. Rothberg 22 Filed: Feb. 1 1970 Assistant Examiner-David J. ZObkiW[21] Appl. No.: 11,621 [57] ABSTRACT A 'valve for transmittingpressurized fluid from a fluid [52] U.S. Cl ..137/102, 251/DIG. 1 pp yto reaeiver means, such as n actuating power [51] Int. Cl. ..G05d 7/00cylinder, and for exhausting the transmitted fluid [58] Field of Search..137/ 102, 525; 251/DIG. 1 when the pressure of the fluid supply drops,comprises a check valve carrying an elastomer seal, the seal [56]References Cited being moved in a direction to cover exhaust port meansand to admit fluid through the valve during UNITED STATES PATENTS fluidinfeed, and to be returned by the back pressure 2,703,558 3/1955 Wilcox..137/525 X to cover the infeed means when the pressure of the 2,716,9979/1955 Crookston ..137/ 102 fluid supply drops permitting cylinderexhaust. An 0- 3,093,153 6/1963 Horowitz ..137/102 ring positionedinteriorly of the valve body is em- 3,2l6,45l 1 1/1965 Smallpeice ..25l/DIG, 1 ployed to act as a check valve seal.

5 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures $UPPLY 1b 3 1 1Q 19 6 4 V EXHAU5T QUICKEXHAUST VALVE The present invention provides a valve for transmittingpressurized fluid from a fluid supply to receiver means such as anactuating power cylinder, and for exhausting the transmitted fluid whenthe pressure of the fluid supply drops. It is obviously desirable toprovide valves of this type which are simple in design, reliable andinexpensive. It is also desirable that such valves cause a minimum dropin pressure of the incoming pressurized fluid in order to ascertainmaximum utilization of the available pressure energy for useful worksuch as moving the piston in the actuating power cylinder.

The present invention provides valves of this general type which aresimple in design, and hence low in cost and reliable in operation. Oneaspect of the invention makes possible a significant reduction in theamount of pressure drop that occurs in the transmission of pressurizedfluid through the valve.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become morefully apparent from the following description on an embodiment of theinvention, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a valve embodying the invention,combined with a schematic sketch showing how a supply-exhaust circuitmight be associated with the valve.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to the cross-sectional portion of FIG. 1showing the seal-ring in a different position.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a valve body 7 having an infeed end 4 and a receiverend 3. At the infeed end, the port 5 is connected to a fluid supplysystem which in illustrated case includes a valve 1 leading from a fluidsupply source and a valve 2 leading to a fluid exhaust. With the valve 1open and valve 2 closed, the port 5 is subject to the full pressure ofthe fluid supply. With the valve 1 closed and the valve 2 open, the port5 experiences a drop in the fluid supply pressure down to substantiallyatmospheric pressure.

The port 6 may be connected to a pneumatic actuating power cylinder (notshown). The operation of the illustrated valve 7 is such that when thevalve 1 is open and the valve 2 is closed the pneumatic actuating powercylinder will receive pressurized air and will fill and maintain linepressure until such time as pressure in the supply line drops, whereupon pressure in the actuating power cylinder is immediately relievedthrough the openings of the valve 7.

The valve housing 7 is formed by the open ended members 3 and 4 whichare threaded together forming an annular space for an elastomerring-seal 9 that is slidingly received in the interior of the valvehousing 7. Shoulders 8 and 11 of the annular interior form end stops forthe sliding axial motion of the elastomer ringseal 9. The interior 10comprises bores and flow passages within the body 7.

The elastomer ring-seal 9 divides the opposed ends of the interior 10into an infeed chamber 17 and a receiver chamber 18.

The infeed chamber 17 includes a multiplicity of holes 16 spaced axiallyon shoulder 8 of the interior of member 4 for communication betweeninfeed chamber 17 and infeed port 5. Central passage means midwaybetween the open ended members 3 and 4 permit flow communication viaopen centered intake orifice 14 with receiver port 6. The intake orifice14 forms a part of the receiver chamber 18.

The receiver chamber 18 includes the axially spaced passageways l2distributed around the shoulder 11 of the annular interior of open endedmember 3 for communication between receiver port 6 and annular gap 19,and the passage means 13 entering the valve interior at an angle andcommunicating through gap 19 with passageways 12, the passageways l2 andthe passage means 13 comprising the fluid exhaust means. Exhaustpassageways l2 and orifice 14 are in axial relationship to each other,except for length and the amount of net fluid flow area, the orificealways longer than the exhaust passageways l2 and less in net fluid flowarea, thus offering more resistance to the fluid flow during exhaust.

A floating elastomer ring-seal 9 moving axially inside the interior 10against shoulders 8 and 11 acts as a check valve. When valve 1 is openand valve 2 is closed, the pressurized fluid entering infeed chamber 17will force the ring-seal 9 against the shoulder 11 blocking offpassageways 12 including passage means 13, and allowing flow of thefluid from infeed chamber 17 to go, via passage 15 and orifice 14, toreceiver port 6 for cylinder actuation, and not viceversa. This ispossible because of the pressure drop between the infeed chamber 17 andthe receiver port 6, caused by the directional changes and restrictionsof the flow passing via passage 15 and intake orifice l4, and a pressurein the infeed chamber always higher than the pressure in the receiverport. The infeed chamber 17 always sensing higher fluid pressure thanthat in the receiver port 6 will maintain the seal ring 9 against thepassageways 12 including passage means 13 and will result inunidirectional fluid flow from infeed port 5 through infeed chamber 17via central passage 15 and orifice 14 into receiver port 6 for cylinderfeeding and actuation.

When the valve 1 is closed and the valve 2 is open, the pressure in theintake chamber drops below that of the pressure in the receiver portcausing the seal ring to move quickly back against shoulder 8. As aresult of lower pressure drop through the passageways 12 than thatthrough the orifice 14, the ring-seal 9 is actually forced by the higherpressure stream from the passageways 12 against lower pressure region,in infeed chamber 17 end, at shoulder 8, permitting an unidirectionalcylinder exhaust via passage means 13 which now are open to atmospheredue to the change of direction of floating ring-seal 9.

The members 4 and 3 with the floating elastomer ring-seal 9 inside anannular space 10 divided into an infeed and receiver chambers foralternative cylinder feeding and exhaust comprises an ultimatesimplicity in the design of quick exhaust valves.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each andeveryone of the details described above which have been set forth merelyby way of example with the intent of most clearly setting forth theteaching of the invention. Obviously, devices may be provided whichchange, eliminate or add certain specific structural or proceduraldetailswithout departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve for transmitting pressurized fluid from supply to receivermeans such as an actuating power cylinder, and for exhausting thetransmitted fluid when the pressure of the fluidv supply drops,comprising a valve housing having an infeed end and a receiver end, anannular chamber within said housing, said annular chamber having opposedfirst and second ends associated respectively with said infeed end andsaid receiver end, an elastomeric sealing ring slidable within saidhousing back and forth between first and second positions in which thering is seated at the first and second ends of the annular chamber, feedpassage means connecting said infeed end with first port means formed atsaid first end of the annular chamber, exhaust passage means connectingsaid receiver end with second port means formed at said second end ofthe annular chamber, vent passage means connecting a vent outlet withthird port means also formed at said second end of the annular chamber,and intake passage means connecting said receiver end with fourth portmeans formed intermediate said first and second ends of the annularchamber.

2. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprises endwardlyengaged male and female fittings, and the first and second ends of theannular chamber are formed in opposed bores in the fittings.

3. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprises endwardlyengaged male and female fittings, and the third and fourth port meansare each formed by gaps between axially facing parts of said fittings.

4. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprises endwardlyengaged male and female fittings, and the feed passage means and theexhaust passage means comprise passages drilled in one orthe other ofsaid fittings parallel to the axis thereof.

5. A valve for transmitting pressurized fluid from supply to receivermeans such as an actuating power cylinder, and for exhaustingthetransmitted fluid when the pressure of the fluid supply drops,comprising a valve housing having an infeed end and a receiver end, andincluding two endwardly engaged fittings, an annular chamber within saidhousing, said annular chamber having opposed first and second endsassociated respectively with said infeed end and said receiver end, anelastomeric sealing ring slidable within said housing back and forthbetween firstand second positions in which the ring is seated at thefirst and second ends of the annular chamber, central coaxial stubsformed in each of said fittings and together defining a central core ofsaid annular chamber which central core receives the inside diameter ofsaid sealing ring, a gap between the ends of the stubs forming a port tosaid annular chamber intermediate the ends thereof, intake passage meanswithin one of said stubs and connecting said gap with said receiver endof the valve housing, and additional passage and port means forconnecting said first end of the annular chamber to said infeed end ofthe valve housing and for separately connecting said second end of theannular chamber respectivelyto a vent and to said receiver end of thevalve housing.

1. A valve for transmitting pressurized fluid from supply to receivermeans such as an actuating power cylinder, and for exhausting thetransmitted fluid when the pressure of the fluid supply drops,comprising a valve housing having an infeed end and a receiver end, anannular chamber within said housing, said annular chamber having opposedfirst and second ends associated respectively with sAid infeed end andsaid receiver end, an elastomeric sealing ring slidable within saidhousing back and forth between first and second positions in which thering is seated at the first and second ends of the annular chamber, feedpassage means connecting said infeed end with first port means formed atsaid first end of the annular chamber, exhaust passage means connectingsaid receiver end with second port means formed at said second end ofthe annular chamber, vent passage means connecting a vent outlet withthird port means also formed at said second end of the annular chamber,and intake passage means connecting said receiver end with fourth portmeans formed intermediate said first and second ends of the annularchamber.
 2. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprisesendwardly engaged male and female fittings, and the first and secondends of the annular chamber are formed in opposed bores in the fittings.3. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprises endwardlyengaged male and female fittings, and the third and fourth port meansare each formed by gaps between axially facing parts of said fittings.4. Device as in claim 1 in which the valve housing comprises endwardlyengaged male and female fittings, and the feed passage means and theexhaust passage means comprise passages drilled in one or the other ofsaid fittings parallel to the axis thereof.
 5. A valve for transmittingpressurized fluid from supply to receiver means such as an actuatingpower cylinder, and for exhausting the transmitted fluid when thepressure of the fluid supply drops, comprising a valve housing having aninfeed end and a receiver end, and including two endwardly engagedfittings, an annular chamber within said housing, said annular chamberhaving opposed first and second ends associated respectively with saidinfeed end and said receiver end, an elastomeric sealing ring slidablewithin said housing back and forth between first and second positions inwhich the ring is seated at the first and second ends of the annularchamber, central coaxial stubs formed in each of said fittings andtogether defining a central core of said annular chamber which centralcore receives the inside diameter of said sealing ring, a gap betweenthe ends of the stubs forming a port to said annular chamberintermediate the ends thereof, intake passage means within one of saidstubs and connecting said gap with said receiver end of the valvehousing, and additional passage and port means for connecting said firstend of the annular chamber to said infeed end of the valve housing andfor separately connecting said second end of the annular chamberrespectively to a vent and to said receiver end of the valve housing.